Richard Proffitt BA (hons)

I put my creative skills to the test with a variety of art and design
related jobs. I enjoy freelancing and also working with a mixture of people; working at my best
within a small or middle-sized team. I have excellent artistic skills and a very good handling of the
Adobe Creative Suite.

Key Skills

Contemporary Art Training

Adobe Illustrator

Painting & Drawing

Quark Xpress

Web Design

Adobe Photoshop

3D Modelling

HTML5 & CSS3

Graphic Design

Adobe Dreamweaver

Adobe InDesign

Microfoft Office

Freelance Web/Graphic Designer

December 2012 - current day

Leamington Spa

Currently self employed engaged in Web Design and Graphic Design. I have
been able to self-train in advanced web design and I also keep a regular
blog at http://blog.iopan.co.uk.

Freelance Web & Graphic Design

I set up my own web and graphic design company in 2013. Called "iopan" - it is so named for the I/O (input/output) of data ballanced with Pan (Greek nature god). I've been able to meet the challanges that freelancing demands and I'm continually expanding my knowledge and client base.

Website Designer

March 2004 – November 2012

Council of Disabled People

Leamington Spa & Coventry

Creating and maintaining the CDP website, in addition, creating and maintaining
additional CDP related sites. Daily updating and archiving content.
Using Dreamweaver and related software. These sites required a high
level of accessibility.

Council of Disabled People (CDP)

Accessible Web Design

CDP in it's heyday was a large Disabled People's Organisation (DPO).
The organisation was active on many fronts; from the practical, day-to-day running of the information service, to meeting clients and helping them to fill out numerous forms. CDP was also a disability rights organisation, which meant it advocated on behalf of Disabled People as well as informing them of their rights. In addition to this, CDP sought to legitimise and uncover the hidden history of Disabled People's struggles and to further Disabled People's culture and arts.

From it's inception, the CDP website was a popular tool to it's users. It served as source of information and news as well as being a hub for resourses and a useful point from which to publicise CDP events and projects.
It was essential that accessibility was high, needless to say; accessibility in the mainstream is virtually ignored; this is despite it being a legal requirement to offer the same quality of goods & services to all web citizens regardless of ability. Much of the accessibility issues deal with how screen readers interpret the code, and whilst today there is a mergeing of technology, in the infancy of accesibility there were few constants or guidelines.

Artist in Residence

February 2006 – December 2006

Warwickshire County Council

Nuneaton

The residency included workshops with the clients of day-centres who are predominately learning disabled adults and my responses creatively to the environment and culture of the groups. ArtsPEP (Arts Participation in Employability Project) - Freeway Centre & Active8, Nuneaton.

February 2006 – December 2006

Community Arts Worker

July 2003 - October 2008

CAW (Community Arts Workshop)

Leamington Spa

During this time I worked with a variety of different groups of people including: Children & Youth at risk of exclusion; BME Elders; People with Mental Health Difficulties; Disabled People; Young People & Adults with Learning Difficulties.

Artwork & Creative Projects at the Community Arts Workshop (CAW)

Open Up Exhibition - Contributed artwork for exhibition focusing on art and mental health issues; in conjunction with World Mental Health Day.

Aug-Nov 2006

In Our Shoes - Workshops and group sculptures focussing on issues of transportation for disabled people in the region. ArtsPEP supported by Coventry Community Services.

June 2006

Mural Painting - Working with Young People at risk of exclusion, to design and paint a mural incorporating the young people’s tags in a graffiti style, for a furniture re-cycling charity. ArtsPEP with Second Chance Furniture, Nuneaton.

May-Sept 2004

ILEAP Photography Project - ILEAP (Inclusive Leisure, Education, Activities Project) Stratford. A series of photographic workshops and discussions with Disabled Children and Young People to produce a series of posters aimed at raising awareness and highlighting disability issues expressed by the group.

November 2003

Open Creative Day - Held at CAW, Leamington Spa for users and staff of mental health services across Warwickshire. A number of artists, musicians, poets & creatives workshopped through the day to help enable the clients to participate with various creative projects. I facilitated website publishing.

Community Artwork - Website Design for the art's organisation, Arts Worker/Enabler. I had many roles to play in the production of the Community Arts Magazine 'Praxis' including Layout Design; Editing; Desktop Publishing; dealing with Contributors and Advertisers; creating magazine copy & adverts.

Public Art Commission

May - July 2002

Warwick County Council

Warwickshire

I was awarded the Public Art Commission for ‘Warwickshire Artsweek 2002’ Commissioned by Warwickshire County Council; digital artwork based on Warwickshire town maps and placed in public sites in Leamington, Nuneaton, Rugby, Stratford & Atherstone.

Putting Art on the Map.A temporary public art commission in celebration of Warwickshire Arts Week 2002

This art piece consisted of five 'maps' which were situated in five key areas of the county of Warwickshire: Atherstone council house; Nuneaton council house; Leamington Pump Rooms (Library & Gallery); Rugby Art Gallery and Stratford visitor's centre. Each map was an abstract construction of features taken from each of the five town's true plans. Although abstract, the artworks were symetrical and adeared to the traditional rules for mandala construction.

The mandala is a symbol often seen in both Eastern and Western religious traditions. It often symbolises the 'Journey to the Centre' or 'Journey to the Self' and is a spiritual quest, orientating the self through life's complicated twists and turns.

Artist

May 1993 – October 2001

Freelance

Various sites in the United Kingdom

I spent a number of years undertaking both paid and voluntary art projects around the UK. These also included solo and group exhibitions, performances and murals.

Production Advertisment Designer

Avon Imaging

Bristol

BA (hons), Art & Social Context, 2:2

1995 - 1997

University of the West of England

Bristol

BA (hons) Art & Social Context was a course that ran to become Fine Art in Context and was about breaking down barriers - sharing experiences and enjoying engaging on the ground around creating art. Understanding the work you create. Analysing art and presenting work. Artists working in the community and evolving with different groups; guiding people through artistic processes.

1995 - 1997

NVQ1 Computers & IT. Desktop Publishing

1994 - 1995

Avon & Bristol Training Associates

Bristol

1994 - 1995

'A' Level Art. Grade A

1986 - 1988

North Warwickshire College of Technology & Art

Nuneaton

1986 - 1988

8 'O' Levels. inc. English & Maths

1982 - 1986

Higham Lane Secondary School

Nuneaton

Activities and Societies: School Council Representative; Independent Art Projects; Debating Society Member; Performer in School Plays.

1982 - 1986

Born

21st October 1970

Nuneaton

21st October 1970

References & Endorsements

Mark Needle

Managing DirectorDisability information Zone

A thoroughly talented and knowledgeable web/graphic designer. He is personable and understanding of all our needs and has gone way above and beyond to help us get the recognition we needed. We will continue to work with Richard for as long as possible.

Bill Sankey

Lecturer at Warwickshire College

Rich has an excellent understanding of the latest trends in web design and web functionality because he places user experience at the heart of his practice. He has a real sense of how to develop appropriate and stylish graphic design for a range of different sectors. He also maintains an excellent blog on his website iopan.co.uk which contains some very insightful design tips and strategies. In addition, Rich produces small-scale paintings, featuring some idiosyncratic subject matter. They are powerful pieces that speak directly about issues of mental health and contemporary culture.

Nigel Pearce

Published Writer and Student.

Richard has exceptional skills as a Web Designer . He is also a talented Artist, I have two canvases of his on my wall that attest to that. I would recommend him for any professional web-design work and encourage you to look at his artistic portfolio.

Sue Heppell

Enterprise Officer

Excellent Web designer, great attention to detail.

Paul Tolley

CEOWarwickshire CAVA

I have known Richard for over 10 years and he brings dedication and creativity to every role in which he is engaged.

Richard oversaw the full development and creation of a new and rebranded website for the Council of Disabled People Warwickshire and Coventry, of which I was the Service Manager at the time, taking a very static site into a new era, developing a strong brand identity for the organisation and a far more intuitive and interactive website for its users

I would have no hesitation in recommending Richard for your web based or media project.